Republic of Ireland to miss World Cup after Eriksen brilliance fires Denmark

Should Martin O’Neill go? That was a clueless and naive a tactical performance I’ve ever seen from Ireland. They gave Denmark’s players far too much space in wide areas, but with the game still salvageable, Martin O’Neill made a couple of extraordinary substitutions at half-time. The introduction of Wes Hoolahan and Aiden McGeady afforded Denmark even more space, leaving Ireland with no holding midfielder against one of the best playmakers in world football. Irish left-back Stephen Ward ended up playing centre-half and gave away a goal , his second gift of the night to the Danes. It was a total mess.

Great Danes: Christian Eriksen was the stand-out player for Denmark, bagging himself the match ball with a sublime hat-trick comprised of two thunderbolts and one deft purler. His hat-trick was bookended by a Cyrus Christie own goal and Nicklas Bendtner penalty to complete a thoroughly miserable evening for Ireland, who opened the scoring through Shane Duffy after just six minutes. It seems a long time ago now.

A dejected James McClean at full-time. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

Full time: Ireland 1-5 Denmark (Agg: 1-5)

Peep! Peep! Peeeeep! It’s all over in Dublin, where Denmark have thrashed the Republic of Ireland to earn their place at Russia 2018. As the Danish players celebrate, Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane can only look on with their arms folded. Out on the pitch, their charges look devastated, but can have no complaints. They simply weren’t anywhere near good enough and didn’t deserve to advance from this tie after a performance of such risible quality. It’s difficult to believe they actually led this match at one point ...

90+2 min: We’re in the second of two minutes of added time and Ireland, who have been dire, have been thoroughly outclassed by a Denmark side who thoroughly deserve their place at the World Cup finals next summer.

80 min: Denmark win a corner, with Ireland’s players looking completely dead on their feet and wishing they were anywhere but out on that pitch getting hammered. They’re chasing shadows at the moment and it’s a little difficult to see where the four goals they require in the next 10 minutes are going to come from. Shane Long had a good chance to pull one back shortly after coming on, but fired high over the bar after being put through on goal. He can’t buy a goal at the moment and his confidence is clearly at rock bottom.

75 min: Not long on the field, Andreas Cornelius sent a cross into the box, which Stephen Ward miscontrolled. The ball broke into space in the penalty area and Eriksen was quickest to react, sprinting to rifle it send it screaming past Randolph as Ward scrambled to recover. Now is probably not the time to point Big Fingers of Blame, but Ward has had a game to forget tonight, in a largely dreadful collective Irish performance.

71 min: Ireland substitution: Shane Long on for Ciaran Clark. Jeff Hendrick drops back into the heart of the Ireland defence as Martin O’Neill sends on a player who hasn’t scored in his past 30 appearances for club and country to try and bag a hat-trick in the next 20 minutes. These are desperate times for Ireland, who need three goals. Wes Hoolahan and Robbie Brady are now in the heart of Ireland’s midfield.

68 min: On Sky Sports, Ray Houghton bemoans Ireland’s policy of trying to get the ball forward too quickly, plus the utter futility of playing aimless long and high balls in the direction of Wes Hoolahan. He’s about 5ft 4in in his socks, so he’s not going to win any of them.

65 min: That was another splendid finish from Eriksen, who latched on to a pass from Sisto 20 yards from goal and placed the ball beyond Randolph’s dive with laser-like precision. Ireland can have no complaints about tonight’s inevitable defeat - they’ve been outplayed by a vastly superior team tonight. The defending there was atrocious.

GOAL! Ireland 1-3 Denmark (agg: 1-3) (Eriksen 63)

Well dat’s dat, den, as we say in Ireland. With acres of space and all the time in the world at their disposal, Denmark advance on Ireland’s goal in a move that ends with Christian Eriksen curling the ball beyond Darren Randolph from the edge of the Ireland penalty area.

60 min: The clock ticks past the hour mark with Ireland needing to score two goals without reply to qualify for the World Cup. They win a free-kick wide on the right, about 40 yards from goal for a foul on Cyrus Christie.

57 min: A poor ball in to the Denmark penalty area from Aiden McGeady sends Denmark galloping up the field on the counter-attack. Christian Eriksen finds himself through on goal, but is unable to beat Darren Randolph, who saves his shot. The ball doesn’t break particularly kindly for Thomas Delaney, who fails to score on the follow-up.

A let-off for Ireland there, as Eriksen didn’t have the necessary speed to get in quite the position he would have liked to beat Randolph.

54 min: Wes Hoolahan tries to run on to a Daryl Murphy flick-on and wins a corner for his team. Robbie Brady sends the ball into the penalty area, where Shane Duffy’s firm downward header poses Kasper Schmeichel few problems.

52 min:Denmark are dominating possession, while trying to slow the game down. They dawdle over free-kicks and throw-ins, prompting plenty of fruity language from assorted Ireland players being picked up by the pitch-side microphones.

49 min: Kasper Schmeichel boots it long for Denmark and minor chaos ensues. The ball breaks for Christian Eriksen, who floats it into the penalty area from the right. Stephen Ward makes a vital interception with Nicolai Jorgensen lurking. A corner for Denmark, from which nothing comes.